Wednesday, 19 October 2016

A Parting of Ways

After a lot of serious consideration, research and starring at it in the parking lot, the conclusion I have come to is my 1994 Chrysler LeBaron GTC convertible is not the project I was looking for.

In June, when I found the classified ad, visited to previous owner and laid eyes on the car for the first time, it was merely the thrill of the deal and the belief I was fulfilling a dream. It wasn't until the cash had changed hands that "buyers remorse" started to set in. That passed, but was replaced with something else when I went to the airport to collect my wife and son, after a family event from up north. Her look created another feeling in me that I couldn't quite shake for sometime.

My son took an instant liking to the car, marveling mostly at the major moving part; the retractable roof. Even when this video was shot, back in August, the novelty was wearing off, although you really can't tell in my voice. I was already thinking along the lines that a two door coupe and/or convertible is a good car to have when you are single or a childless couple (granted, other families have one or the other and are doing just fine, talking more about my small family).

Thanks in part to the management of the building we were residing in at the time, the LeBaron was put into paid storage. For the next couple of months, my son and I would stop by for a "visit," start it up and even take brief drives around the yard. Any thrill of having it was fading fast, for both of us.

I am very much a person of feelings, especially with emotional attachments to people, places, things and memories. The childhood dream of owning a convertible was fully realized, the adult reality of actually having the thing was a numb and if I chose to keep it, very expensive with poor returns experience. I wanted to become attached to this car, I really did. Sadly, it just didn't happen.

I felt nothing as I watched the LeBaron being loading on the back of the deck truck, towards some unknown destiny. Okay, I did feel some disappointment that a connection between man and machine never really happened. However, it's departure would serve a purpose, helping to recover some of it's value towards this....